The Easter Half Term is just around the corner, and with the days getting longer (and hopefully warmer) it’s the perfect time to plan a holiday away. While far flung places may be more difficult to organise with young children who just want to run around and play, there are actually plenty of fantastic destinations just a stone’s throw away. To inspire your fun family adventure we take a look at some Easter Half Term holidays in Europe that can be reached by ferry with your kids.
Pas-de-Calais Region
Just hop across the Channel from Dover and you will find one of the best Easter Half Term Holidays in Europe. Calais is just 26-miles from England, making this destination perfect for that last minute break. While many choose to pass through the region towards Paris, the area is actually full of surprising things to do and see.
For grown-ups, driving around the quaint towns and villages nearby, like St Omer and Boulogne (both a 30-minute drive from Calais), gives a chance to to pick up delicious fresh cheese and wine to take home. For colourful seaside charm, Le Touquet is a chic spot full of French boutiques and relaxing spas.
Younger travellers can start their explorations of this resort town by getting a perspective at the top of the Le Touquet Lighthouse, where you can see for miles in every direction. Kids will also love a chance to wander along the enormous soft sand beach which gives way to an 800 hectare pine forest; perfect for spotting everything from seals to birds.
County Antrim and the Causeway Coast
A short distance from Larne Port lie the wonders of one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world, the Causeway Coastal Route. Besides being one of the top road trips on the planet, this scenic roadway served as the backdrop for scenes from the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Recreate your favourite scenes at the real life Winterfell, or Castle Ward; wander down the King’s Road, otherwise called the Dark Hedges; and marvel at the stark beauty of the Iron Islands, in Ballintoy Harbour.
You simply can’t leave Northern Ireland without witnessing its greatest natural marvel, the Giant’s Causeway. This basalt column walkway trails off into the sea and was created by enormous volcanic pressure. However to spark the imagination of your kids, tell them the legend of its construction at the hands of the great Irish giant Finn McCool.
Rotterdam
The modern city of Rotterdam is packed with fascinating things to do that makes it ideal for either a Mini Cruise or a longer holiday. For mum and dad, the gleaming architecture scattered across the city like pearls – not to mention the incredible gourmet food – will keep them more than happy.
For children however, Rotterdam is a veritable playground of entertainment. Get your bearings by embarking on the Pannenkoekenboot, a boat tour on the Maas River which cruises around the delightful harbour while you tuck into as many pancakes as you can eat. If you want to show your children Holland’s best known attractions without having to drive around the whole country, a visit to Madurodam model park is ideal. Located in The Hague, a short drive from Rotterdam, you can see the most famous landmarks in the Netherlands in miniature.
If this has inspired you you to book one of these Easter Half Term Holidays in Europe, why not take a look at our convenient ferry crossings today?
